Menutes vs Otter.ai – Honest Comparison (2026)
Otter.ai is a US-based transcription platform focused on virtual meetings. It integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams through a meeting bot that joins calls to record and transcribe. Otter is best known for its real-time collaboration features and searchable transcript library.
TL;DR
Menutes is purpose-built for in-person meetings with device-based recording and EU data hosting. Otter.ai specializes in virtual meeting transcription via bot integrations. Choose Menutes for in-person meeting capture with GDPR compliance; choose Otter for Zoom-heavy workflows.
What is Otter.ai?
Otter.ai is a US-based transcription platform focused on virtual meetings. It integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams through a meeting bot that joins calls to record and transcribe. Otter is best known for its real-time collaboration features and searchable transcript library.
Feature comparison at a glance
| Feature | Menutes | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| In-person meeting recording | Built-in: record directly from phone or laptop mic | Limited, primarily designed for virtual meetings |
| Virtual meeting support | Record system audio or use browser extension | Native bot joins Zoom, Meet, and Teams automatically |
| Speaker identification | AI diarization with voice profile learning | Speaker ID via meeting participant matching |
| AI summaries | Structured minutes: decisions, action items, next steps | AI chat and keyword extraction from transcripts |
| Languages supported | 50+ languages including Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian | English primary, with limited additional languages |
| Data hosting | EU-based infrastructure (GDPR native) | US-based servers |
| Free plan | 5 hrs/month transcription, 30-day history | 300 minutes/month, limited features |
| Paid pricing | From €10/month (Premium) | From $16.99/month (Pro) |
How does transcription accuracy compare?
Both Menutes and Otter.ai deliver strong transcription accuracy for clear audio in supported languages. Menutes uses a multi-model approach, selecting the best speech recognition engine for each language and acoustic condition. This matters especially for in-person meetings where background noise, overlapping speakers, and varying distances from the microphone are common.
Otter.ai has optimized its accuracy primarily for virtual meetings where audio quality is generally more consistent. Its strength is in English-language transcription, where it performs exceptionally well. However, for multilingual teams or meetings conducted in non-English languages, Menutes offers broader and more reliable coverage across 50+ languages.
For mixed in-person and virtual workflows, Menutes provides a single platform that handles both recording scenarios without requiring separate tools.
Which tool is better for GDPR compliance?
For teams operating under EU regulations, data residency is a critical factor. Menutes is built by AI Eesti OÜ, an Estonian company, and processes all data through GDPR-compliant EU infrastructure. Audio and transcripts are encrypted in transit and at rest, and users can delete their data at any time.
Otter.ai is a US-based company (Otter.ai, Inc.) with servers in the United States. While Otter has implemented privacy measures, EU organizations may face compliance challenges when audio recordings of sensitive meetings are stored and processed outside the EU. This is particularly relevant for legal, healthcare, and government teams.
Organizations subject to GDPR, Schrems II requirements, or internal data sovereignty policies will find Menutes the more straightforward choice, with no Data Processing Agreements or Standard Contractual Clauses needed for EU-to-US transfers.
How do the pricing models compare?
Menutes offers a free tier with 5 hours of transcription per month and 30-day meeting history, enough for individuals or small teams to evaluate the platform thoroughly. The Premium plan at €10/month unlocks unlimited transcription, unlimited history, and priority processing. Team plans are €9/user/month.
Otter.ai's free plan includes 300 minutes (5 hours) per month with limited features. The Pro plan starts at $16.99/month, and the Business plan is $30/user/month. Otter's higher-tier plans include features like admin controls and organization-wide search.
For a 10-person team, Menutes Team costs €90/month compared to Otter Business at $300/month, a 70% cost difference. Both platforms offer the core transcription and summarization features at their paid tiers, making Menutes significantly more cost-effective.
Who should choose Menutes over Otter.ai?
Menutes is the better fit if your team regularly holds in-person meetings, needs GDPR-compliant data handling, works in multiple languages, or wants structured meeting minutes with decisions and action items clearly extracted. It's also significantly more affordable for teams.
Otter.ai may be the better choice if your workflow is entirely virtual meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams and you want automatic bot-based recording with real-time collaboration features. Otter's deep virtual meeting integrations are its strongest differentiator.
Many teams use a mix of in-person and virtual meetings. For these hybrid workflows, Menutes offers a unified solution that covers both scenarios without needing multiple subscriptions.
The verdict
Menutes and Otter.ai serve different primary use cases. Menutes excels at in-person meeting capture, multilingual transcription, and EU-compliant data handling at a lower price point. Otter.ai specializes in virtual meeting workflows with deep Zoom/Meet/Teams integrations. If your meetings happen in a room, not just on a screen, Menutes is the stronger choice.
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5 hours of free transcription per month. No credit card required. Works for in-person and virtual meetings.
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